Favorite Video of the Week: Duranguense


Baile estilo Duranguense

It was very difficult to pick a video of the week this time around, too many to choose from! And yes I know, my blog depends heavily on Youtube references so it’s not like I’m limiting myself. Ultimately, I decided to go with this video of Duranguense* dancers (the male dancer in the pink shirt and matching boots was the clincher). Besides, I’m headed to Mexico next week, so might as well get in the mood. My grandfather was from Guanacevi, Durango, so you can say it’s part of my heritage but… not totally. The current craze of Duranguense music and dancing was started in Chicago by Mexican immigrants. I’d love to learn this dance but considering how horrible I was at my attempts at Quebradita (see example below), I doubt I’ll do much better with Duranguense.
Enjoy!


Quebradita Dance Contest, music by Los Tucanes del Tijuana

*I have to admit I’m not a big fan of Duranguense style of music despite the presence of the heavy tamborazo (which I can listen to for hours!). I do love Banda (the music of Quebraditas) though, and if there’s a jukebox around with “La Culebra” you can guarantee I’ll waste every last quarter playing the song over and over.

Added 9/28/08: NPR has an excellent report on Duranguense. Listen here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5156569

7 thoughts on “Favorite Video of the Week: Duranguense

  1. cindylu says:

    I still try to do that kick thing when I’m dancing to music like this. I looove dancing to it, though I can’t say I’m any good. There’s something incredibly attractive to me about a guy who can dance to banda (and all it’s derivatives). I know that’s my Zacatecas roots and growing up going to parties where I’d see my family dancing to the tamborazo.

    I don’t know about duranguense. It looks funny. I heard it about it last year when I went to my cousins quince in Guanajuato. She makes fun of the crazy hip (and head) movements.

  2. Diego says:

    I can’t stand duranguense. I’ve despised it since day one. My favorite radio station is La Que Buena, but when they start playing duranguense, I have to change the radio station or turn it off. I hate duranguense, won’t dance to it, won’t listen to it, won’t accept that it is considered an actual genre of music.

    And duranguense has been around for about three years. There seems to be no way it will die down, but I sure hope it does. And soon.

  3. Rolo says:

    We met Adal Ramones at a Bar in Colima and he was a total asshole.

    This is funny, that tall dude looks too funny dancing like that lol

  4. Adrian says:

    Most of you don’t like Duranguense because you’ve only seen people that really don’t know how to dance it. I don’t think Duranguense or any of the other dances were made for Bailando por un Sueño. Once you watch them on that program, they’ve literally been changed to a circus acrobatic act and are unrecognizable. In other words they have become some other dance. Let me give them a generic cover all name. Baile Maromero Paez. So, when you watch Bailando por un Sueño and they are supposed to be dancing Merengue — it’s really not Merenque. It’s “Baile Maromero Paez.”

  5. selena says:

    para mi im love dancing duranguense aspecially with my boyfreind he can dance really good.
    dancing makes me feel free and duranguense is the best
    VIVA MEXICO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    ANIMO RAZA!!!!!!!!!!

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